Sport bar light wiring

[fiatslug87]

What gauge wire should I use for my sport bar lights? They are Marchal 850s with 100 watt bulbs with the wiring running through a relay out to the battery. I was going to use 14 gauge does that sound right? Thanks.

[Dzimm]

Here is a diagram for wire gauges for DC circuits.  You will need to know your wire length and power consumption in amps. 

 

Math says you will be just over 8 amps per bulb but want some overhead so I'd call it 10 amps.  Not sure on your wire length but I'm guessing it would be 10-15ft to get to the sport bar so I'd go with 12ga if you are running each light to the battery.  14ga would be plenty at the bar if you splice at the bar and run a single (thicker ga) wire to the battery.

 

If you want to only run one power wire back and splice to each light on the bar, you will need to add the amps together to find your wire size for the main wire.  Basically don't chain 5 lights together and run on one single 12 ga wire.

[fiatslug87]

Thanks, very helpful.

[Dzimm]

53 minutes ago, fiatslug87 said:

Thanks, very helpful.

  

[JMO413]

That chart is awesome! 

[Dzimm]

3 hours ago, JMO413 said:

That chart is awesome! 

It is very helpful.  Not mine, just found it on Google.

[JMO413]

Just now, Dzimm said:

It is very helpful.  Not mine, just found it on Google.

Good find. Thank you for posting it.